Chess Olympiad Round 6: How Nihal Sarin blundered his queen in India’s loss
India suffered a narrow 2.5-1.5 defeat to hosts Uzbekistan in Round 6 of the Chess Olympiad after Nihal Sarin let a winning position slip, allowing Nodirbek Yakubboev to capture his queen for free. With Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and D Gukesh drawing, Nihal’s loss proved decisive. India’s women bounced back against the United States, winning 3-1 after their previous-round defeat to Poland.
On Monday, India's open team faced Uzbekistan, the tournament hosts, in Round 6 of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. The match held significant importance as both India and Uzbekistan had previously won the last two Olympiads between them. India led the group standings after five rounds, alongside Germany. Captain Srinath Narayanan fielded the strongest lineup possible, with Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, and Gukesh on the board.
Vidit Gujrathi rested for the day ahead of his upcoming match with World Championship contender Javokhir Sindarov. Despite every other board ending in a draw, Nihal Sarin's game remained a potential winner. However, a critical blunder occurred when Vidit's queen was captured on move 40, swinging the game entirely in favor of Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Yakubboev. This victory marked India's first defeat in the open section of the tournament.
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